Mahama: Security Recruitment Was Fair, Digitally Driven
President Defends Digital System Amid Concerns Over Fairness and Scale of Recruitment
- Mahama denies favouritism, says digital system ensured a fair recruitment process
- Over 500,000 applicants recorded despite only about 5,000 initial positions
- Government plans to expand intake and improve transparency in future exercises
President John Dramani Mahama has rejected claims that recent recruitment into the security services was influenced by favouritism, maintaining that the process was designed to be transparent through the use of digital systems.
Addressing members of the Ghanaian community in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 26, he explained that the introduction of technology was meant to eliminate long-standing concerns about bias in public sector employment.
“There have been persistent complaints that recruitment is based on connections. This initiative used digitalisation to screen the initial batch of applications—the system does not recognise individuals,” he stated.
He acknowledged, however, that the exercise attracted far more applicants than expected. Approximately 500,000 vouchers were sold, despite an initial target of about 5,000 recruits.
“The intention was genuine, but the turnout exceeded expectations. After deliberations, we agreed to expand the intake, and applicants will not be required to pay again,” he added.
President Mahama assured that additional measures would be implemented to further enhance fairness and equal access in future security recruitment exercises.
The process has faced scrutiny in recent days, with critics raising concerns about both its scale and transparency. With over 500,000 applicants competing for roughly 5,000 positions, the situation has also highlighted rising unemployment pressures.
Some observers have also questioned the centralised recruitment system overseen by the Ministry of the Interior, suggesting it may have impacted transparency and accessibility.
